1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clutch release bearing, especially for an automobile vehicle, and more precisely to a particular arrangement of the roller bearing forming part of the drive member of such a clutch release bearing.
As is well known, a clutch release bearing may comprise an operating member adapted to be subjected to the action of a control member such as a clutch release fork, and a drive member adapted to act on the release device of the clutch, which may for example consist of the ends of the fingers of a diaphragm spring.
The drive member usually comprises a roller bearing having rotatable and non-rotatable races between which are disposed the rollers, which are retained in place by a roller bearing cage.
The drive member is held, trough the operation of an elastic washer, either directly or indirectly, in axial bearing contact with the operating member by means of a projection carried thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
Whatever sort of elastic washer is used, in the operating position one of its peripheries bears against a bearing surface on the operating member and the other of its peripheries bears against a radial flange carried for this purpose by the non-rotatable race.
This washer may be a washer with axial elasticity, for example such as described in French patent application No. 2544429, a bistable elastic washer or, as described in French patent application No. 2584788 a washer with radial elasticity.
The drive member is adapted to act through the intermediary of its rotatable race, either directly or indirectly, on the release device of the clutch.
In practice the elastic washer is installed in the middle of the roller bearing, with a certain radial clearance in the rest configuration, in a generally annular groove delimited by the radial flange connected to the non-rotatable race, the terminal or end face of the rotatable race which is facing towards the radial flange and a deflector, ensuring, in particular, retention of the lubricating grease of the roller bearing.
In order to form the clutch release bearing, the roller bearing thus equipped is engaged on an axial part, for example a sleeve, of the operating member. During the approach of the roller bearing towards the projection of the operating member during fitting, the rotatable race acts as a tool and exerts an axial pushing force, through its end face forming a fitting bearing, on the elastic washer to place the latter into its operating configuration.
This manner of fitting increases the cost of the rotatable race since it is necessary to dimension the race precisely, especially axially, and to machine the end face so that the elastic washer can pass from its rest configuration to its desired operating configuration and can, by pressure, adequately hold the drive member against the operating member.
The object of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage by making it possible to exert the axial pressure on the elastic washer, for the latter to pass from its rest configuration to its operating configuration, by another, sufficiently strong, part of the roller bearing, whilst providing other advantages.